In taking a case involving the NFL’s exclusive licensing deal for sports merchandise, the Supreme Court could go beyond caps and give leagues more leeway in areas such as team relocation, legal scholars said Monday.

“A broad ruling in favor of the NFL could rewrite almost all of sports antitrust law,” said Gabe Feldman, associate law professor and director of the Sports Law Program at Tulane University in New Orleans.

The court will hear an appeal from American Needle Inc. of Buffalo Grove, Ill., which filed an antitrust challenge to an agreement the NFL struck with Reebok International Ltd. American Needle had been one of many firms that manufactured NFL headwear until the league granted an exclusive contract to Reebok in 2001.

The NFL won the case in the federal appeals court in Chicago. But it also asked the Supreme Court to hear the case in a quest for a more sweeping decision that could put an end to what the league considers costly, frivolous antitrust lawsuits.

The court decided to take the case against the advice of the U.S. Solicitor General’s office.

The central question is whether the league is essentially a “single entity” that can act collectively, as the NFL argues, or 32 distinct businesses that must be careful about running afoul of antitrust laws.

Matt Mitten, a law professor and director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University in Milwaukee, called the court’s decision to take the case significant.

“This will be the first time the Supreme Court will consider the merits of the single entity defense,” he said, adding that a favorable court decision could give the league “a lot more room not to have to fear suits” on issues such as relocation and ownership requirements.

Miscellaneous / Tortorella, Gordon join Olympic staff

Ron Wilson‘s coaching staff for the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team that will compete in next year’s Vancouver Games is complete with the addition of assistants John Tortorella and Scott Gordon.

Tortorella coaches the New York Rangers and Gordon coaches the New York Islanders.

Wilson, the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was appointed Olympic coach in April.

University of Kentucky Athletics Association officials said former Kentucky men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie has sued the wrong people and in the wrong place.

The athletics association has asked a federal judge in Texas to dismiss Gillispie’s lawsuit over his firing or move the case to Kentucky. In a motion filed Friday in federal court, the association’s attorneys said the school has minimal contact with the state of Texas, giving the court there no jurisdiction to hear Gillispie’s claims.

Gillispie sued the University of Kentucky Athletics Association in federal court in Dallas on May 27, claiming fraud and breach of contract. Gillispie claims the school never intended to sign him to a long-term deal.

James Blake will join Andy Roddick and twins Bob and Mike Bryan on the U.S. Davis Cup team that will play Croatia in next month’s quarterfinals.

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